Listen: Pros and Cons of Backpack Vacuums

Watch: Pros and Cons of Backpack Vacuums

Hey there, I’m Angela Brown, and this is Ask a House Cleaner. This is a show where you get to ask a house cleaning question, and I get to help you find an answer.

Do Backpack Vacuums Live Up to the Hype?

It’s a great question and we’re going to talk about the pros and cons of backpack vacuums today.

What it comes down to is personal preference. When it comes to choosing the right vacuum, the one that’s best for you is the one that you’re going to use on a regular basis.

If you are a homeowner you may not want to use a backpack vacuum.

Aggregated Information from My Friends on Backpack Vacuums

I belong to a group of professional house cleaners. And there are over 6,700 professional house cleaners from around the globe in our group. And we talk about stuff like backpack vacuums and which ones are their favorites.

I’ve listed my findings and have included links to the favorite backpack vacuums used by professionals.

But to break it down here are some pros and cons.

PRO: Backpack Vacuums Save Vacuuming Time

So, imagine out raking a yard where you’re doing all this movement where you’re raking. As opposed to having a blower strapped to your back where you just blow the leaves and it goes so much easier.

Yes, it’s physical labor for both of those tasks as it is with vacuuming. But the one strapped to your back is going to go a lot quicker. So, if speed is what you’re looking for, the backpack vacuum wins this vote.

CON: Backpack Vacuums Are Bulky

All right one of the things we’ve learned about backpack vacuums is you have to budget for the width. When you strap a canister on your back – you are thicker than you are without one.

So, you have to take into consideration the space around you as you move through a house.

It’s easy to bump into a wall or a mirror that could easily shatter and break. Because the vacuum is on your back, it’s hard to gauge the distance between you and end tables with glass lamps.

It’s like you’re a bull in a china shop. You have to be careful about your surroundings so you don’t go bumping into stuff and send it crashing to the floor.

PRO: Backpack Vacuums Have a Tiny Footprint

What this means is that the part of the vacuum that touches the floor is small. With a regular upright vacuum, you have the roller head, and you have the base and wheels. When you use your own vacuum at client A’s house, you roll those wheels and base over all their carpet. This means over pet hair, gunk and whatever is on their floor.

When you go to Client B’s house, you roll the germs from Client A’s carpet on Client B’s carpet. Unless you stop to clean and wipe down your vacuum.

With a Backpack vacuum, the roller piece is small and easy to clean.

CON: Backpack Vacuums Can Make You Sweat

Cleaning by itself requires speedy movement which will cause you to break a sweat. Try strapping vacuum on your back and then turning it on. The heat from the machine along with your movement, in the summer heat, can turn icky.

House Cleaners say that in summer months the thing they hate most is vacuuming because the backpack vacuums seem heavier and hotter.

PRO: Backpack Vacuums Are Great for Commercial Space

Lots of janitors swear by backpack vacuums when working in open areas like offices and waiting rooms.

The wands are long and flexible and allow the head to swivel under chairs, tables, and desks.

Because you can cover so much territory just by walking and vacuuming it’s a big money saver because it cuts your cleaning time almost in half.

CON: Backpack Vacuums Not Great for Confined Space

If you have small or tight spaces like closets, small rooms, pantry’s or laundry rooms, it can be difficult moving around. With a canister strapped to your back, you don’t fit in the same places you would without one.

PRO: Backpack Vacuums Are Great for Stairs and Hallways

Unlike traditional upright vacuums, you don’t have to lug a vacuum up the stairs with your hands while you try to vacuum. Having a backpack option lets you travel up and down different floors with ease.

In a sense, it is safer because you can have one hand on the banister for support while the other hand holds your vacuum wand.

CON: Backpack Vacuums Are Not Great for Plush Pile Carpet

My cleaning friends complained about the suction on the backpack vacuums. Thick carpets did not get a rave review where their upright counterparts did much better for dirt, pet hair and heavy traffic areas.

PRO: Backpack Vacuums Are Great for Hardwood Floors

Oddly enough, the same cleaners that complained about the backpack vacuums on the plush carpet, were ecstatic about the job it did on hardwoods. Gobbling up dust, Christmas tree needles, pet hair, and crumbs.

While having separate vacuums for pet hair isn’t the greatest idea, some people swear by this method.

CON: Backpack Vacuums Are Not for Everyone

So, there are pros and cons. There are people that absolutely love them and there are people that totally hate them. And so, it’s a personal preference depending on what you like best.

Before you buy one, see if you can find somebody who has one they will let you borrow to see if it’s a good fit for you. And until we meet again, leave the world a cleaner place than when you found it.

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